Former Astronaut Mark Kelly Calls for Gun Control

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Retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of former
congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), called for tighter
gun control after a horrific school shooting left 27 dead,
including 20 children, in Newtown, Conn.

"I just woke up in my hotel room in Beijing, China to learn that
another mass shooting has taken place - this time at the Sandy
Hook Elementary School in CT," Kelly wrote in a Facebook post
today (Dec. 14).

On behalf of himself and Giffords, he offered thoughts and
prayers to the families of the victims, but urged the public's
response to consist of "more than regret, sorrow, and condolence"
this time.

"The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of
gun
violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate
in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can
be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death
in America," Kelly wrote. "This can no longer wait."

Giffords was shot in the head during a gunman's rampage outside
of a Tucson supermarket in January 2011. Six were killed and 13
were injured in the attacks. Since then, Kelly has been vocal
about gun violence and critical of lawmakers' efforts to address
the problem.

At a sentencing hearing for Giffords' shooter last month, he said
in a statement to the court, "We have a political class that is
afraid to do something as simple as have a meaningful debate
about our gun laws and how they are being enforced … As a nation
we have repeatedly passed up the opportunity to address this
issue. After Columbine; after Virginia Tech; after Tucson and
after Aurora we have done nothing."

Giffords, who was former member of several congressional
committees on science and space,
stepped down from politics earlier this year to focus on her
health and rehabilitation.

Kelly is a veteran of four space shuttle flights and commanded
two. He commanded NASA's last flight of the space shuttle
Endeavour in May 2011 before
retiring from NASA's astronaut corps. Kelly's identical
twin brother Scott Kelly is also a NASA astronaut and veteran of
two shuttle flights and an International Space Station mission.